Jude Bellingham comforts the 17-year-old Mexican star in the tunnel and makes a touching gesture in new photos
Jude Bellingham showed his class on and off the pitch as England beat Mexico to reach the World Cup quarter-finals.
Bellingham earned a perfect 10 in Adrian Durham’s player ratings as 10-man England held on for a 3-2 win in one of the biggest games of the tournament.
2
He continues to show leadership and experience in all aspects of the game despite being only 23 years old.
Touching images emerged from the tunnel immediately after the match at Azteca Stadium.
It showed Bellingham comforting 17-year-old Gilberto Mora.
The two exchanged a few words and the England star swapped shirts with his rival.
Mora is the youngest player in the 2026 World Cup. In the previous round, he became the youngest person to start a knockout match after Pele.
Unsurprisingly, Liverpool, Man City, Man United and Chelsea have all been linked with a transfer interest.
Bellingham decision
Speaking after the match, the Real Madrid man thanked his teammates for the great effort they showed in such a hostile environment.
He said: “That’s right, I think that in my work in England, maybe that’s what was chosen for the team, fairness.
“The atmosphere, the opposition, the team play, the team effort, the team relationship. I can’t thank everyone enough for what they did tonight.
“I’m very happy, I’m proud to be a part of this moment. I’m very happy that we gave our country another night to remember.”
2
Bellingham also became the first person since Diego Maradona to score two goals for the Azteca in the World Cup.
“He’s a lot bigger than me, but yeah, it’s good company to be in.
“Obviously, one of the things that made me grow as a fan of England was always seeing us playing in these games against difficult opponents, a difficult situation, and seeing them collapse.
“Being a part of a team that strongly resisted all the difficulties and came out on top, I am very proud.”
He continued: “As you grow up to be an England fan, you always wish that the team had more personality, a little bite in these games.” And I think we showed that.
“For the guys who are growing up and haven’t played these games before, I think it’s the right kind of message for them that they can handle it and they’re very ready to win it. I like everybody for playing a little bit. I’m very proud.”
Next up for England is the match against Norway in Miami on Saturday night, with live commentary on talkSPORT, for a place in the semi-finals of the World Cup.
WhatsApp World Cup
Don’t miss an update from talkSPORT on our dedicated World Cup WhatsApp channel.
Search for ‘talkSPORT World Cup’ in your ‘Updates’ tab on WhatsApp and we’ll put relevant, unfiltered football chat right on your lock screen—no fluff, just the pure power of talkSPORT.
This is where you’ll find all the new rules to watch out for, England and Scotland reactions and player ratings for the big game.
And there will be plenty of debate on the big talking points as Haaland, Mbappe, Kane and the biggest names in football descend on America, Canada and Mexico.
/https%3A%2F%2Fsportsmole-media-prod.s3.gra.io.cloud.ovh.net%2Fuploads%2F2026%2F04%2Fimago1075785696-69f1c41377d96073966575.jpg "Preview: Indonesia All-Stars vs Aston Villa – prediction, team news, lineup")
/https%3A%2F%2Fsportsmole-media-prod.s3.gra.io.cloud.ovh.net%2Fuploads%2F2026%2F03%2Fseabra-69cc295b3aa3e223592802.jpg "Preview: Coritiba vs Cruzeiro – prediction, team news, schedule")
